Countdown
by KonaKong
Summary: A timer installed on your wrist will count down until the second you see your soul mate. It seems like it should be simple enough, but assumptions can add unnecessary complications. AU, modern setting.
1. Preface

I don't own, nor am I affiliated with Pride and Prejudice or TiMER.

If anyone's unfamiliar with the movie TiMER, the basic premise is that you can install a timer on your wrist that will count down until the day you meet your soul mate. I've changed some details in that process slightly for the purposes of this story. I intend to make each chapter a snapshot of what I think this would look like in the world of Pride and Prejudice. Enjoy!

Preface - Elizabeth

I was supposed to be at soccer practice. Instead, I was sitting on a modified dentist chair with my right hand palm up.

"This may hurt," the attendant warned. I looked away—I didn't want to watch, I'd rather be surprised by the pinch.

I had been planning on having a normal weekday. We had all piled in the mini van after school; me with my soccer gear, Jane with her ballet slippers, and Mary with whatever book she was reading this month. The twins, Kitty and Lydia, were old enough to leave at home, but after the curling iron incident Mom decided they would run errands with her.

Instead of after school activities, Mom pulled in to a strip mall. "Now girls, I would have brought you here before, but I wanted to make sure it was safe. Mrs. Fairchild has assured me that even though the technology is new, it's guaranteed to work. And the sooner you've got one, the sooner you'll meet Mr. Right! It's all I want for you. You'll all live happily ever after!" And that's when I realized where we were.

It was the latest in matchmaking, a timer on your wrist that counted down to the second you would meet your soul mate. They said it worked. I was skeptical.

Our attendant, Deborah (according to her name tag, anyway), led all six of us to a room in the back.

Mary wanted to go first, neither Jane nor I objected. The twins wheedled and whined, but they were still a year shy of 13, the minimum age.

Mary sat and stoically listened to the warnings and disclaimers. No assurance that your soul mate had had one installed yet, no returns if you don't like your soul mate, just because you saw them doesn't mean they saw you, basic stuff. If they hadn't had one installed the timer would show flashing dashes. If they had one, the days, hours, minutes, and seconds would appear. After you see your soul mate, the counter would show solid zeros. If your soul mate died or had their timer removed, then the backlight would turn off. Deborah also explained the electric shock you would feel when the timer hits zero and you see them.

I really couldn't care less about the particulars, I was just curious to see if it worked.

Mary got comfortable in the chair. They set the weird staple gun-looking apparatus on the inside of Mary's right wrist and counted down from three. There was a hiss and a pop and Deborah moved out of the way. We all crowded around the chair. The lights booted up and numbers scrolled across the face, finally settling on a number.

7,884D 04H 23M 17S

I pulled out my phone to put that into years. "Thirty-six. You're going to be thirty-six."

Mary burst out crying.

"Now, sweetie. I know that's a long time. But he's out there, you'll see! Happily every after!" Mom patted Mary's head in what I think was supposed to be a reassuring way. It was mostly negated by her next comment to the attendant. "There must be some mistake. Can you get her another soul mate? Figure out who he is so we can arrange a meeting within the next decade? It has to be in your system somewhere! How will they have children?" Mary sobbed harder, though some of it may have been from embarrassment.

"Ma'am, that's not how it works. Take it or leave it. We could remove her timer, but she'd never be able to get another one." She looked apologetic, "This is not unheard of or even that uncommon. Why, just last week we installed a timer that wasn't set to zeroize for forty years."

Jane and I exchanged glances. I wasn't keen on the idea before, but now it seemed potentially so much worse.

Deborah handed Mary a box of tissues and Mom helped her from the chair. I guess that meant it was my turn. Mom talked at Jane about the new fashion of wearing wrist guards to keep people from looking at your timer and I looked anywhere but at my arm.

"Pinch" was an understatement. It felt like twenty simultaneous bee stings or a second-degree burn. Everyone stopped talking to get a look at my wrist.

2,392D 03H 20M 06S

It could have been worse. I could have lived without the squeals of delight from Mom, though. Already she was talking about how I would be birthing her future grandkids in a few short years. I got out of the chair quickly to get anyone else in the spotlight.

Jane sat quietly as Mom continued to loudly plan my future life. I grasped Jane's left hand. Hiss and pop. We leaned over to see what the timer displayed. Surprised, I glanced back at my own wrist, which now read 2,392D 03H 17M 45S, and then looked back at hers.

2,392D 03H 20M 32S


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: still don't own anything. Enjoy!

Chapter 1-Elizabeth

I compulsively touched the bohemian kerchief covering my right wrist. Though I knew I wasn't looking at anyone and therefore the timer wouldn't go off, I could swear I felt phantom vibrations.

I looked over at Jane. She had really outdone herself tonight. We'd known this was coming for years and she'd been planning her look for months. The end effect was subtle, but absolutely glowing. Normally we wouldn't be spending Thursday night at an alumni networking event, but we knew better than to decline an invitation on tonight of all nights. Besides, I needed all the contacts I could get so I would have job at the end of next semester when I planned to graduate. Mom didn't approve. She was happy to send us to college where we were sure to meet the caliber of men she expected our soul mates to be, but she thought it was a waste of time to plan for any future other than getting married and being a stay at home mom. Sometimes it was best to let her think she was getting her way rather than arguing.

Our uber stopped to the side of the hotel where they were holding the event. We got out, conscious of heels and skirts, and made our way up the path to the door.

I heard them before I saw them. We turned to corner and that's when it happened. Electric bolt up my right arm; zeroized. Two men were in a heated argument in a small garden to the side of the hotel entrance. The one more incensed frankly could have passed for a Mormon missionary if he had been wearing a white shirt instead of grey, but all of my attention was for the other man. His jacket was unbuttoned over a casual striped shirt and he had artfully tousled brown hair with several days of groomed stubble. I was mesmerized. This had to be the most attractive man I'd ever seen.

The missionary lookalike didn't turn to face us as we approached the door and kept berating my soul mate. _He_ turned, though. Our eyes met and I thought my legs would buckle. I tried to smile, and I guess I must have done well enough because he grinned and winked.


	3. Chapter 2

Thank you everyone for the reviews! Hope you like this chapter. As before, I don't own nor am I affiliated with TiMER or P&P.

Chapter 2 – Jane

I was through the conference room's open doors before I realized that Lizzy wasn't right behind me. I smiled for a moment, realizing what had probably delayed her. The next moment I started wringing my hands, nervousness setting in. I looked around for something to occupy antsy fingers and found the beverage table to the right surrounded by dozens of other tables advertising for major businesses.

Though I wanted to relax, I skipped the beer; I didn't want anything that would cause me to be impaired for the most important night of my life. The punch seemed like a safe bet. I filled a glass then moved to the side so I'd have a good view of the door, watching to make sure I'd catch Lizzy when she walked in.

My hands were now calm, but my thoughts were an absolute jumble. What was Lizzy's beau like? Would she even be coming in to the event? Should I be waiting for her? Maybe I should walk around the room to make sure I see everyone. He has to be here. What would he be like? Tall? Short? Fat? Thin? I wasn't worried; I knew no matter what he looked like he would be the perfect match for me, but I felt a need to know everything about him. What were his goals and dreams? Dog person or cat person? What kind of ice cream does he like? It felt like standing on the edge of a cliff, not knowing when you would be pushed.

I spotted Lizzy walk in the door, saving me from my thoughts. She looked flustered and she was alone. Odd. She saw me and walked over.

"Where is he?" Did he have to leave for some reason? Was there an emergency of some sort? I hoped everything was alright. I was puzzled, but didn't want to jump to any conclusions aloud.

"Oh, he was talking to someone. I'm sure he'll be in shortly." She smiled and her face lit up. I could tell she really liked him, which was hopefully a given; who wouldn't like their soul mate? I was a little uneasy that Lizzy was less important to him than a conversation, but I believe in true love so I considered that stray thought forgotten. I smiled, happy that she was happy.

She turned to stand next to me, diagonal to the door but facing the room. She looked around, but every few seconds her eyes would return to the entryway. I smiled again; she had it bad already. But then her face turned to a scowl. I looked where she was frowning and saw a well-dressed clean-cut man walk in the conference room. Clearly he was not the man she was waiting to see; maybe he was a classmate she had a bad experience with?

"He was the one talking to my soul mate." She paused, "Okay, 'talking' may have been off. It was an argument. This guy was yelling at him." After her initial dirty look, she went back to stealing glances at the door. Curious, I watched the man walk back to his table advertising for Rosings Law and Legal where another man was already standing.

His friend turned to look around the room as I saw him and our eyes met. I barely registered the electric shock up my arm; I didn't need it to tell me he was my one. It was as though the focus of my entire world shifted. Everything other than him faded in my periphery.

Eyes still locked, I took a step forward. I felt Lizzy's hand on my arm and I mutely handed her my drink without looking. I didn't wait to see if she had it before I let go. I took another step.


End file.
